Marinas & floating Pontoons to grace the Goan Rivers soon

Following the Casinos it is the time for the Marinas & Pontoons to float in the rivers of Goa. The Marina is a specially designed harbor with quay for pleasure yachts and small boats, while the Pontoon is the floating bridge / boat that serve as a dock. The word marina is also used for inland wharves on rivers and canals that are used exclusively by non-industrial pleasure craft such as canal narrow boats. Since the trends of Yacht and luxury boats are growing in Goa with few businessmen having their own Yacht the services of marina have become indispensable.

A marina may have the refueling, washing and repair facilities, marine and boat chandlers, stores and restaurants. It may also include ground facilities such as parking lots for vehicles and boat trailers. Slipways (or boat ramps) transfer a tailored boat into the water. A marina may have a boat hoist well (a traveling crane) operated by service personnel. A marina may provide in- or out-of-water boat storage. Fee-based services such as parking, use of picnic areas, pubs, and clubhouses for showers are usually included in long-term rental agreements. Visiting yachtsmen usually have the option of buying each amenity from a fixed schedule of fees; arrangements can be as wide as a single use, such as a shower, or several weeks of temporary berthing. The right to use the facilities is frequently extended at overnight or period rates to visiting yachtsmen. Since marinas are often limited by available space, it may take years on a waiting list to get a permanent berth.

At the moment only Kerala has the lone Marina in India and soon it will be in Goa too as the Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) is asking the department of science and environment to conduct a study on the carrying capacity of rivers in the state for giving approvals for major projects like marinas or floating pontoons and may be additional Casinos. Speaking to media persons, after the board meeting, GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said that lots of proposals have been put before the board, such as houseboats, jetties, marinas, pontoons, berthing points for trawlers and boats. “We thought that we should ask the environment department to conduct a study on the carrying capacity of rivers. We will ask the environment department to float an expression of interest to conduct the study,” The study will comprise topics covering water quality, total fecal coli form levels, whether there is any other contamination in the water and if any new activity comes up, what would be the impact of that particular activity on the river at that time. Noronha said that based on the study, the board will decide how much economic activity can be allowed in each river. There are seven rivers where the study will be conducted on. They are Tiracol, Chapora, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Talpona and Galgibaga.

Noronha said that many activities are being carried out in rivers like operations of floating pontoons, casino vessels and berthing, dismantling and building of ships. Hence any new commercial project posing threat to environment will not be accepted on inland waters until report is prepared and finalized. But minor project will be accepted on case-to-case basis. Based on this information it is become clear that very soon Goa will have the Marinas & Pontoons floating in the rivers. This will be surely a necessary requirement of the time as with the increase in the numbers of luxury boats / Yacht in the state the basic infrastructure is required to be made available to the local as well tourist who may want to travel to Goa in their own luxury yachts. This will also give boom to tourism industry of Goa.